


Allfather

by ChubbyGhostQuinn



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Caustane, Background LifeLore/Bangalife, Background Wraithfinder, Casual Use of Alcohol, Celebrity Crush, Cheesy, College Student Elliott Witt, Domestic, Drama & Romance, Dysphoria, Fluff, Human Pathfinder, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Long-Distance Relationship, Musician Bloodhound, Other, Rise to Fame, Romance, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Tattoos, Underground Rock Band, Underground Singer Elliott Witt, miragehound, past trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2019-12-18 12:59:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18250340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChubbyGhostQuinn/pseuds/ChubbyGhostQuinn
Summary: Waves of screams crashed over the shore of the stage they stood on, the world beyond too dark to see the source. They took a deep breath and pulled their gas mask on, lacing the back with expert speed as the smell of leather surrounded their mouth. Bloodhound took a step closer to their microphone, pulse spiking as the attention of the world turned to them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I needed more Miragehound content and we needed an AU so here we are. I hope you all enjoy it!
> 
>  
> 
> -Just a quick note! Marvin is Pathfinder, and he is a human in this fic since it's a modern setting haha

Bloodhound took a deep breath, slinging the strap of their guitar over their shoulder. They looked back at Ajay who was checking her drum set and making sure it was all in order. She spun a drumstick and shot a thumbs up and a grin before pulling her surgeon’s mask over her face. They nodded and looked to Octavio for his ready symbol. He scratched his short nails over his buzzed, green hair a moment before tugging his mask on as well, wicked painted teeth grinning at them. He bounced excitedly with his bass guitar in hand, ready to go.

A last glance to their side, Makoa tossed his long hair up into a bun and smiled back at them. A moment later his wooden mask was over his face, curves like tattoos carved into the face of the mask.

They pressed their fingers against the sharp wires of their electric guitar, the beginning chords of their first song on the edge of their fingertips. 

“Our opening acts are amazing!” the announcer called from where Bloodhound could not see. His voice was harsh and raspy, like he’d been talking all night. He sounded like a late night radio DJ. “But we all know who you’re really here to see, right?”

Waves of screams crashed over the shore of the stage Bloodhound stood on, the world beyond too dark to see the source. They took a deep breath and pulled their gas mask on, lacing the back with expert speed as the smell of leather surrounded their mouth. 

“Let’s get on with it then!! Let’s hear some fucking noise for Allfather!!”

If the screams were waves before, it was a tsunami as the curtain rose high. Blinding stage lights assaulted Bloodhound’s eyes, the half mask offering no protection. Bodies moving wildly as they cheered. 

Bloodhound took a step closer to their microphone, pulse spiking as the attention of the world turned to them.

__

The phone was pressed to his ear so hard it was starting to sweat, eyes on the old radio in front of him. He’d called this radio station too many times over the past week, and today was the last day. 

“Hello, caller number nine!” 

Elliott’s heart leapt into his throat as he heard the voice through the phone and the radio, reaching out quickly to turn the radio down.

“Oh my God, hi!”

“What’s your name, caller number nine?”

“M-My name’s Elliott Witt!” 

His pulse was pounding holy shit. 

“Alright Elliott, you have eight seconds to name ten Allfather songs. Ready?”

He’d been practicing over and over for this. He’d be damned if his stutter got in the way of this.

“I’m ready,” he said, stomach twisting. His mother had suggested writing the names down, but reading off a paper would just make him stutter more.

“Alright, your time starts... Now!”

His brain kickstarted like it was shocked, babbling out the names as fast as he could, “Give Me Sight, Allfather, Slatra, Stim, Hunter, Lifeline, What A Rush, A-A-Adrenaline, and Bre… Brethren”

There was the sound of a horn that went off in the middle of the last word. Would that count? He cursed under his breath at his stutter. His mother peeked into the dining room where he sat, towel wrapped around her head from her shower.

“Elliott you took a little longer than the time limit,” the radio host said, making Elliott’s stomach drop. His mom made a face that he understood meant that he’d better get these tickets.

“We’re still gonna give it to you man! Three front row tickets and backstage passes to Allfather, coming to California!”

Elliott could have screamed, but his mother did, bouncing on her feet and running over with arms wide, “Mijo, oh my goodness!!” she said loudly. He could hear the host laughing.

“Holy shit, really? Thank you so much!!” he said, his whole body shaking as his mom danced around. She didn’t listen to Allfather, but she always tried to celebrate the things Elliott enjoyed. He was always happy to see her so happy anyways.

The next few minutes were spent with him being transferred to someone off radio to share his contact information so he could get the tickets sent to him. When he got off the phone he jumped up and danced around, “Mom holy shit!”

“Language!” she scolded, though her voice was cheery. She and him bounced around the dining room for a moment, celebrating excitedly before he gasped,

“I gotta tell Wraith and Marvin!” he said, grabbing his phone again and running to his room to start a group call with them.

He fell back on his bed, phone pressed to his ear as he listened to the dial sound. 

“Hi, Elliott,” Wraith said, a smile in her voice.

“Hello!” Marvin said a moment later, the sound of a videogame in the background.

“Guys, guess what!!” he said immediately, not bothering with a hello.

“Oh god, what?” Wraith said, sounding a bit apprehensive.

“You two better free up your schedules for the end of the month!”

“Why?” Marvin asked.

“Oh my god, Elliott you didn’t!” she said, “You got Allfather tickets?”

“Hell yes I did!” he said, excitedly kicking his feet “Not only that, but I got front row tickets!”

“Exciting!!” Marvin cheered, the video game sound stopping, “I’ve never been to a concert!”

“Front row?” Wraith said, “Holy shit, El. Holy fucking shit, that’s amazing. Was it that radio giveaway?”

“Yeah! My mom had it on every radio in the whole house so we’d know when the giveaway was happening.

“That’s very smart of your mom,” Marvin praised, giggling.

“Not only that but guess what else!” Elliott continued proudly.

“More news?” Marvin gasped.

“More news, baby! Backstage passes!”

Wraith and Marvin both cheered loudly, Wraith far more excited and Marvin just going with it. Marvin didn’t share their music taste, but he loved being included in events and he could enjoy himself anywhere.

“Elliott you’re amazing,” Wraith said, laughing, “Oh my god, I can’t wait!”

“It’s gonna have to be a weekend trip so make sure you’re free! I’ll text you guys the details and your ticket receipts. Dinner’s gonna be ready soon, so I gotta go but I had to tell you!”

“Have fun, friend! Tell your mom I say hello!” Marvin said.

“Tell mom I say hi!” Wraith said. 

They said their goodbyes and hung up, Elliott drawn to the kitchen by the smell of food starting to cook. He felt like he was floating in a dream.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter twoooo! I can feel my writer's block slowly going away haha  
> Anyways I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am! This story is my heart and soul right now lol

Elliott was practically counting the seconds to when he and his friends were heading to the concert. Allfather was basically the only subject in their group chat. They sent each other posts from the band members, tracking the days down. Elliott’s heart could hardly take it at the photo Marvin sent of the band posing together in front of a “Welcome to California” sign, masked and looking overall stunning together. Specifically Bloodhound, standing in the middle of them all with their red hair tied back in a high ponytail and body covered by black clothing.

Finally, finally, the day came. A friday when Elliott woke early, dawn hardly breaking, and was confused as to why his alarm was going off. He groaned at the dusty light filtering from his window, rubbing his face as he tried to gather himself. He remembered suddenly, and all in a rush he was wide awake. He jumped out of bed and called his friends right away, going to his closet. Wraith answered sleepily, a groan coming from her before she managed words,

“Yeah?”

“Are you getting ready?” he asked.

“Why? Oh, yeah, I will right now. What time are you coming?”

“In an hour and a half!” 

Wraith hung up to get ready. When he called Marvin, he was already awake. Of course he was awake, Marvin woke up at entirely too early in the morning. He hung up and started going through his clothes to decide his outfit for the day and the concert. He grabbed some black skinny jeans, but not too skinny, and an Allfather shirt he’d bought a year prior. He looked at the front, always having admired the print. 

The shirt was black with “Allfather” written in big, sharp letters. The art was the cover print of their Slatra album. All the band members laid out in a pile of bodies, looking like marionettes with their strings cut. Bloodhound, the lead singer, was in the middle of them all, the grass stained crimson under their body. 

He decided to keep this for the concert, grabbing a white tee shirt for the drive out to Los Angeles.

He pulled the shirt on over his head, then ran over to his desk and grabbed his deodorant. He always managed to do it in the wrong order. He pulled on some sneakers and comfortable pants, then went about making sure he had everything he’d need in his suitcase. He always made a list of his things to make sure he forgot nothing, so he went through and put anything he was missing into his bag. He put the shirt at the top so it wouldn’t get wrinkled. 

He ran down the hall, turning the corner into the kitchen, “Oh, Mama, you’re awake!” he said.

His mother looked over, brown hair in a bun on top of her head. She smiled, “Good morning, mijo! Sit down and eat some breakfast before you leave, okay?”

“Yes, Mama” he said, coming over to help her set plates for the two of them. They sat and ate their chilaquiles and talked about his plan for the weekend. She kept reminding him to be careful, keep his phone charged, keep his pepper spray and knife on him, don’t talk to strangers. He reached over and patted her hand,

“I’ll be okay, Mama. Just a concert. I’ve been to p-p-plenty before, and you have too!”

“That’s exactly why I say to be careful! I know how crazy concerts can get! Especially those mosh pit things!”

He laughed at that, “I’ll be careful, I promise! I’ll call you before and after too, so you know I’m safe.”

She nodded and took a drink from her coffee mug, “You’d better! Your friends too! Marvin and Wraith are my babies just like you, keep them safe.”

“Mama, if anything I’m gonna have to keep people safe from Wraith,” he teased.

“Then do that!” she laughed, “Hurry up and brush your teeth! You don’t want to be late. You ate enough right? You have enough money?” she worried again as he put his plate into the sink.

“Yes, Mama, everything’s fine! It’s perfect!” he assured, hurrying down the hall to brush his teeth and do his hair. He shoved his brushes, hair gel, and toothpaste into his suitcase as well before carrying it out to his car. He put it in the trunk, running back into the house to hug his mom goodbye.

She held and kissed him all over, making him laugh. He had to pull away eventually, kissing her cheek one last time and heading out. He got into his car when his mom appeared at the door, waving at him. He rolled down the car window and leaned out of it.

“Do you have your tickets?” she asked. Elliott gasped and scrambled out of the car, rushing to his bedroom and sitting down at his computer to print the tickets. His leg jiggled with impatience the whole time until he could snatch the papers and run out again, giving his mother yet another kiss on her cheek. She pressed a wad of money into his hand before pushing him towards his car. He thanked her loudly as he drove away. 

He set the papers in the passenger seat, heading to pick up Wraith since she was closer to where he lived. 

When he pulled up to her apartment building, he pulled out his phone and messaged her. She sent back a thumbs up, so he sat and waited. He stared at the tall building, greys and whites with large windows and plants hanging off balconies of people who lived there. Within a few minutes she was walking out of the building with her luggage in hand, dressed in sweatpants and a dark blue hoodie. She tossed her bag into the trunk and crawled into the front seat, Elliott pulling the papers away and finding a safer place to store them in the glovebox. 

Wraith curled up in the seat, buckling up and shutting the car door. Elliott drove off, glancing over to see her playing with the hair falling from her bun.

“Message Marvin and let him know we’re coming, could you?”

The woman nodded and yawned into her sweater sleeve as she pulled out her phone. Elliott tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel as he drove, glancing over every once in a while to make sure she was okay.

“S-Speaking of Marvin...” he smiled widely, giving her a knowing look, “Is that his hoodie?”

Wraith blushed and swatted him with her sleeve, not dignifying it with a response but he laughed loudly anyways. 

He pulled up to Marvin’s dorm building, not having to message his friend since he was already waiting outside with his luggage and backpack on his back. He was dressed the nicest, a yellow polo shirt and khakis on. Nerd. 

He climbed into the backseat with his things, happy and smelling like a fresh shower, “Hello, friends!”

Wraith grunted in response, and Elliott waved, “Hey, Marv. How are you?” he asked as he drove off. Marvin buckled in,

“I’m excited! I’ve never been to a concert before! I’ve also never been to Los Angeles! So many new things,” he laughed excitedly, shaking his dusty blue hair away from his face and pushing up his glasses. 

“I hope your first concert is good! You don’t really listen to Allfather, do you?”

“No, I don’t but I listened to some of their music and I like it! Mozambique is a very good song, and so was Care Package!” 

Elliott grinned, “I’m glad you liked those! We could listen to some more of their music if you like?”

Marvin nodded happily, reaching to the front to grab the AUX cord and hook it up to his phone. He looked at the girl in the passenger seat, quietly kicking off her shoes,

“Are you okay, Wraith? You look very tired!” he commented.

“I am tired…” she said softly.

“Oh?”

Elliott glanced over at her, “Late night?”

Wraith scoffed softly, “Stupid essay I forgot about. Had to turn it in last night and I was only halfway done.”

“You should have called me and I could have helped!” Marvin said, “You should also rest. We will be driving for a long time!”

Elliott nodded, “Yeah, take a nap! We can wa-wake you up when we stop somewhere.”

Wraith nodded, seeming to melt into her seat. Marvin opened his bag and took out a small blanket, draping it over her. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep. 

So, Elliott and Marvin listened to several of Allfather’s albums for the car ride, not talking so Wraith wouldn’t wake. Elliott pulled over once they got to the edge of town to set up the GPS on his phone and put it on a mount so he’d know where to go.

Wraith woke a few hours later when Marvin needed to stop to use the restroom. Elliott was stretching his legs in the parking lot, cringing when his shoulder popped as he stretched his arms over his head. He was looking around at the mostly empty surroundings, breathing in the fresh morning air and enjoying the gentle sun, when Marvin came running out of the little gas station, grabbing his wallet, 

“We should get snacks!” he said excitedly. Wraith was up and out of the car right after he said that, pulling her sneakers on and patting the front pocket of the hoodie. 

“Alright, let’s go,” Elliott said, patting his back pocket to make sure his wallet was still there. They went into the store, the cashier hardly looking up from his phone as they entered. Wraith immediately went to the candy section while Marvin went to get drinks. That left Elliott on chip duty. 

The group spent at least thirty minutes just walking circles around the small gas station store as if new items would suddenly appear on the shelves. They all had arms full of things they set on the counter together. Mirage had gotten hot chips for himself, some fake healthy baked chips for Marvin, and funyuns for Wraith. He added in a few other bags too for variety, as well as a can of bean dip to share. 

Wraith had gotten entirely too much candy and chocolate, but by no means would Elliott ever complain about sweets. Marvin looked like he’d gotten everyone’s favorite drinks as well as waters. Wraith was already sipping on her bottle of lemon tea, setting it down momentarily for the teenaged cashier to ring up. 

Last minute they all grabbed pizza slices from the food warmer on the counter, and Marvin bought a small plush dinosaur with giant eyes from a kid’s toy rack in the corner. They carried everything to the car with full arms and pockets, loading it all in the back with Marvin so he could be in charge of passing things around.

Elliott filled up the gas tank and took off again, admiring the ever changing scenery of California as the trio sang loud and proud to songs Wraith played on the AUX cord and passed their snacks around. They spent an embarrassingly long time singing old rock songs, Marvin cheering for Elliott when he landed the high note in Bohemian Rhapsody.

They stopped once more for a bathroom break and a tank fill, Marvin taking the wheel for a while to let Elliott rest, and another time to stop at a little restaurant and eat food that wasn’t from a bag. Wraith drank two cups of too-sweet coffee with her food and Marvin swore dramatically the pancakes he was served this late in the day were the best he’d had. Marvin just appreciated everything he got anyways. Elliott, re-energized by his stomach full of food and lungs full of fresh air, took the wheel again.

It got a little quieter once they neared the big city of Los Angeles. Elliott had to concentrate in the tight, erratic traffic. He leaned closer to the steering wheel as he drove, looking at his GPS often so they had no chance of getting lost. Marvin and Wraith commented on the huge signs and pretty buildings they drove past, as well as playing “I Spy”. Overall, the three exclaimed loudly at everything that they saw. Elliott’s road rage came out momentarily too, Wraith keeping him from leaning out the window to curse out a truck driver that cut him off. 

The sun was setting by the time they got to their large hotel, and it was dark by the time they were settled in. They cleaned the car of empty chip bags and candy wrappers and drink bottles, marvelling at the hotel. It wasn’t a five star hotel, but Elliott had scored a pretty good place anyways. Soft maroon carpets with yellow trims and sleek wooden walls greeted them as they left the elevator for their room.

There was two beds in their room, Elliott pointing to the larger one, “That one is for me and Marvin. Smaller one, you get all to yourself,” he smiled at Wraith.

Wraith dropped her bag by her bed, flopping down into the plush comforter and groaning in relaxation. Marvin laughed as he began setting up his things on his side of the bed. He set up his laptop and chargers, smiling happily. Elliott grabbed the remote to the television mounted on the wall, 

“Who’s up for a movie?” he asked, grinning.

__

Elliott woke to a warm weight at his side, groaning softly and stretching. He looked over to see Marvin at his side, phone in hand just scrolling through Twitter slowly. 

“Uh, Marv?”

“Yes?” Marvin asked, looking up at Elliott from his place cuddled into his side, hair a blue bird’s nest on top of his head.

“Whatcha doing buddy?”

“Laying here, waiting for you all to wake up!” he said, smiling. Elliott sighed, deciding being vague wouldn’t ever work with his friend.

“Marv, why are you so close to me?”

“Oh! Well, you kept rolling over to hug me while we slept, so I figured I should stay close!” he said, looking back down to his phone again.

Elliott groaned and rolled over, ignoring the embarrassment that stung his face. He looked over at the other bed in their hotel room, jealous of Wraith being comfortable and all alone. She was still asleep, scarcely visible through the pile of blankets save for her feet that stuck out from the bottom.

He was warm in the blankets, on the verge of too warm from the shared body heat of the two men. He scratched his cheek, feeling the stubble against his nails as he rolled over more to get comfortable again. 

“Wake me up in a few hours, okay?” he said, shutting his eyes against the dewy morning light.

“Yessir!” Marvin said, too chipper for it being so early. 

__

They sighed softly, brushing their tangled mess of hair away from their face. They couldn’t be bothered to brush it out this morning, just tugging it back in a low quality bun and calling it a day. 

Practice was a tiring process no matter how patient someone was. One could only go over the beginnings of the same song so many times before they started to get tired of restarting. Now, they were sitting on the dirty, black stage of the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater while the tech crew set up lights. The thrumming of Octavio’s bass guitar could be felt through the quiet stage. 

The same stage legends like Black Sabbath and Aerosmith had performed their hearts out on. A sold out venue, over seventeen thousand people. Their heart felt weak as they thought of so many people staring right at them. They supposed it wasn’t so many, compared to other concerts in history, but it was the largest they’d ever played. Did that many people enjoy their music?

Ajay walked over with a smile, her service dog Doc trailing behind her as she held a paper coffee cup out to them, “Pick-me-up?”

“You always know,” they laughed softly, taking the cup and drinking the lukewarm, black, decaffeinated coffee in a long, slow draw. Caffeine was bad for singing voices. 

“Ready for tonight?” she asked, one hand on her hip. They offered a weak smile, running a thumb over their chewed down index nail while Doc flopped down beside them. They scratched through his fluffy, white fur. Their hand and black sleeve came back coated in dog hair.

“Makes no difference, huh? Little late to back out,” they laughed. Ajay nodded her head as if to concede, watching Doc try to get more of Bloodhound’s attention. They stroked his ear.

“Make sure you warm up your voice, gotta be louder than usual tonight.”

Bloodhound nodded in agreement, “I bought some ‘throat coat’ tea to make, and salt to gargle too.”

Ajay cringed, “The things you do to sound good. All I need are these,” she laughed as she flexed and kissed a bicep. Bloodhound rolled their eyes and tried their best to restrain a smile, handing the cup back when they failed.

Ajay laughed even more, winking at them as she headed over to her drum set to continue setting it up. Bloodhound strolled over to their electric and acoustic guitars once Doc left them, sitting down away from everyone to focus on tuning it. They crossed their legs gently, nodding their head slowly as they played short snippets of a few songs on each guitar. 

The Los Angeles spring was warm and sunny as the day progressed, nobody seeming to be bothered save for Bloodhound. They were from a naturally cold climate, while their bandmates were all from warm areas of the world. They were content in their pants and long sleeves while Bloodhound had to resist the urge to change into shorts and a tank top. They might have, if they even owned such clothing in the first place. 

The preparation for the show lasted the entire day, seeming to draw on forever. Bloodhound stood at the front of the stage after their opening act, a band called Silver Raven. They weren’t big, but they sang well. Bloodhound found themselves enjoying some of their music, actually.

Bloodhound held their electric guitar in their hands, gas mask over their mouth. 

_“Einn, tveir, Þrír…”_ they counted, stomping their boot down each time. The music started in a rush, their first song, Slatra. Their calloused fingers drifted along the wire strings with practiced ease, the pain of split fingertips long gone from years of practice. They could feel the bass of Octavio’s own guitar deep in their chest, the melody of Makoa’s keyboard drifting in their ears, and Ajay’s drums pounding in their feet. They sang passionately into the microphone, voice loud and gruff as if the concert were actually going. As if the whole concert were for the janitorial workers in the rows of seats, making everything impeccable.

They ran through the entire concert twice more until they were absolutely perfect in every aspect. As perfect as any group could hope to be.

Then came getting ready for the concert. Their security guard, Alexander, drove them all back to their hotel suite. Octavio got first shower since he was the fastest. While Bloodhound waited for everyone to finish showering, they laid in bed with their raven and ate chocolate covered almonds as they scrolled through social medias. Their concert tonight was all over the news, photos of fans in merch and masks and photos of the band at previous performances in their tour.

They shared good photos they found to the band’s group chat, specifically enjoying one of Ajay with her arms high in the air, passion in her face as she played furiously. 

They finally got their shower, letting everyone go ahead of them, and washed quickly but thoroughly. They flipped their hair upside down, fingers untangling the knots as thoroughly as they could. They scrubbed their body, brushed their teeth again, and got out of the shower. They dressed into clean clothes again, full body covered, and rushed to their room to get ready. The whole hotel suite was chaos, makeup artists and dressers joining them and rushing everyone around. Bloodhound’s poor raven never liked this part, squawking loudly in her huge cage where she was kept away from the tension. They stroked her head through the bars when they had the chance to, whispering softly to her.

Bloodhound’s stylists sat them down in front of a set up vanity mirror with white light bulbs lining it. Their eyes ached slightly as they looked at it, but they let the people do their work. Their hair was blow dried and brushed out, the man beginning their preferred elaborate hairstyles of ornaments and braids. Their makeup artist didn’t do much, the woman just covering any blemishes and accentuating certain features. She reshaved the slits in their eyebrows and darkened them to make them more pronounced. They applied their own eyeliner, using a pencil to line their waterline and doing a tight line on their upper lid. It was smudged however, their warm, brown eyes standing out. 

Once they were done, their dresser came in to help coordinate their outfit. They laced up their boots, keeping the mask around their neck as they brewed their tea. They filled a bottle with it, as well as a smaller bottle of warm salt water. Ready, they set out again to the amphitheater. The tour bus was full of chatter, excitement and anxiety driving everyone to talk but Bloodhound and Alexander. They sat in silence at the front of the bus together, Bloodhound sipping their tea and watching fans excitedly point to the bus as it drove by, screaming out the band’s name. It warmed Bloodhound’s heart to see people so excited, and they couldn’t wait to see those faces in the crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's be friends!  
> \- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChubbyGhost3)  
> \- [Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/chubbyghost)
> 
> Another shout out to my wonderful beta reader Rain!! Find them here:  
> \- [Tumblr](http://nbbloodhound.tumblr.com/)  
> \- [Ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pi3rsquare/pseuds/pi3rsquare)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having such an amazing time writing this and the feedback I've been getting is absolutely amazing! I love you guys so much thank you!
> 
> Also if you guys are interested I drew [Marvin/Human Pathfinder](https://twitter.com/ChubbyGhost3/status/1111713387832983552)

Elliott pulled his leg back behind him to stretch the muscle, sighing as he set it back down on the concrete. Marvin had convinced the other two to take a walk around Hollywood and sight see. He took photos of everything, posing with Elliott and Wraith excitedly and blabbering away about how cool everything was. Poor guy really hadn’t been out of their hometown. 

Now they were walking to the amphitheater, 

“I can’t believe you’re wearing that to a metal concert,” Wraith said, looking to Marvin. He was dressed in a seafoam green polo and white slacks with a brown belt on. Even his shoes made him stick out, brown and shiny dress shoes. He didn’t seem to mind, carefree as ever.

“Who wears dress shoes to a concert?” Elliott asked, leading the group in crossing the street and grinning kindly at Marvin. The sun was just starting to set, the sky a rainbow of warm colors. Elliott found himself staring at the clouds, distracted, until his foot hit the curb and he almost fell.

Marvin and Wraith both reached out to catch him, but Elliott played it off easily, “I’m good!” he said, whipping around and shooting finger guns. Wraith rolled her eyes, messing with the sleeves of her purple sweater so she wouldn’t mess with her hair. Elliott had put her hair up in a nice bun and told her not to ruin it too early. 

“What do you have in that ba-backpack anyways?” Elliott asked, looking to Marvin again. The other man grinned down at Elliott, pushing up his glasses, 

“Everything we could need!” he said, “Portable chargers, charging cords, money, a jacket, and… Did we get the tickets?” he asked, suddenly stressed. Elliott laughed when Wraith looked at him with wide eyes, 

“Don’t worry! I slipped them in Marv’s bag ‘cause I knew he was gonna take it!” 

Marvin blushed just slightly, smiling and continuing on. Elliott and Wraith followed him, Elliott calling out directions as he looked at the GPS on his phone. 

It didn’t take long for them to get to the Hollywood Bowl after that, Wraith walking between the two men so she wouldn’t get lost in the crowd leading up to the big, outdoor entrance. Marvin, taller than most of the crowd, was their eyes to guide them where they needed to go. There were booths upon booths of people selling knock off merch for the opening band and Allfather. Wraith held Marvin’s arm to keep him from wanting to wander off.

“The real booths are inside, come on,” Elliott said, growing a little claustrophobic in the huge crowd of people packed so tightly together. He was starting to sweat from the heat of everyone together, and the air smelled like mixed smokes from cigarettes and people’s marijuana. The three linked arms as to not lose each other, weaving through gaps in the crowd whenever possible. Armed security guards were everywhere, guiding some people who got lost. There were other people trying to buy or sell extra tickets, only adding to the noise. 

Wraith’s hands were starting to shake in Elliott’s elbow, her feet stumbling slightly. Marvin looked to Elliott, his expression conveying the silent message that they needed to get Wraith away from the huge crowd closing in around her. Elliott started moving faster, not caring if he was a little rude in his effort to get through. Marvin was behind with Wraith between them, keeping everyone away from their friend so she didn’t panic. She held a vice grip on Elliott’s hand as he led her to a booth a little away from the crowd. 

Wraith took a shuddering breath, looking terribly uncomfortable but not panicked. She released Elliott to hold onto the cool brick wall. Marvin smiled at her slightly, 

“You okay, Wraith? Here,” he took his backpack off and dug around. He pulled out a water bottle and the stuffed dinosaur he’d bought at the gas station. He opened the bottle and handed it to her, tucking the dinosaur into the crease of her arm as she drank. Elliott smirked a little at Marvin as he zipped the backpack, spotting the blush on his friend’s cheeks.

It took a few minutes for Wraith to calm down, hand locked around her arm in what looked like a bruising grip until she was okay. She rubbed her thumb over the dinosaur, then held it close to her chest as Elliott started leading the group again.

“We need to find the VIP line. Do you guys want any merch?” he glanced back at the two.

“I do!” Marvin said happily. Wraith nodded as well.

“Alright, line for the real shirts is this way.”

They stood in line, Wraith sipping her water as Elliott dug in Marvin’s backpack for his wallet. Marvin wasn’t joking when he said he had everything they could need.

“Fuck, Marv, are you getting ready for the a-apo-apocalypse or what?” he exclaimed, pulling out the wallet and holding it over Marvin’s shoulder. He zipped the backpack closed again, sighing and moving forward in line again. 

The long line moved slowly, but thankfully they had arrived early enough to have a bit of time to waste. The three were indecisive, but managed to pick eventually. Elliott got a shirt for this tour, the Apex Predators tour, celebrating their new album. The front of the shirt was a graphic of Bloodhound that looked painted. They wore a full gas mask, one of the glass eyes broken. Blood could be seen on the inside, and in the back was a dark forest, black feathers cascading. 

Wraith got a shirt for one of their previous albums, a shirt Elliott already had. The four members of the band were standing together, merely silhouettes holding guns on their backs against a brilliant sunset. Marvin got a bunch of pins and a leather bracelet with the band’s name on it. He was sticking all the pins to his backpack as they went to the VIP line. 

They were stopped by a security guard and asked to show their tickets, which they did. They were searched, taking a little more time for Marvin’s backpack, and were handed VIP lanyards as well as bright red paper bracelets strapped to their wrists. 

The card at the end of the lanyard was holographic, a raven with shining eyes that glittered against the light remaining in the sky. On the back was directions for the meet and greet after the show. They walked down a steep, concrete walkway lit up by lanterns that led to the bowl of the theater. The stage was darker than the night around them as they walked down steep steps to the front row to find their seats. They were right in front of the center stage, and Elliott’s heart leaped.

“These are good seats, huh!” Marvin exclaimed excitedly, sitting down on the bench and fixing his pant leg. Wraith sat beside him, and Elliott sat next to her.

“Yeah, we’re going to be right in front of the band!” Elliott said, grinning. Wraith held her stuffed dinosaur in her lap, 

“Don’t have a heart attack before the show even starts,” she laughed. Elliott made a face at her, crossing his legs and watching as the crowd slowly but surely filled with people. His heart was racing with excitement still, so much that he was starting to shiver even though it wasn’t cold. Marvin held out the jacket from his backpack, and Elliott took it for something to occupy himself, and Marvin’s jacket smelled nice.

The trio chatted excitedly for the remaining time until the house lights began to lower. The world grew dark and silent, the whole concert hall as quiet as a funeral. In a sudden burst, the stage lit up with bright lights and sound. The opening act started playing loudly and passionately. The crowd burst into sound, everyone standing for the concert and cheering and whistling until finally calming down as the two lead singers started. 

Elliott enjoyed the music, though he’d never heard of this particular band before. They had a similar vibe to Allfather, though they only played harder songs and were vocally based. Wraith nodded along to the beat, patting her thigh to the beat and singing along to some of the songs. She liked them, she’d explained, having gotten into them recently.

Marvin seemed to be having a great time, grin wide as he watched the performers on stage throw their hair around and sing their hearts out. The drums vibrated in Elliott’s chest long after the act had closed. Anticipation curled heavy in his gut as the stage fell dark once more. 

The sound of soft cymbals met his ears, building anticipation until the lights flashed on, but this time with a red hue as well to give everything a haunting look. His breath was taken at Allfather merely feet away from him up on stage. Bloodhound stood center stage, looking out at the crowd intensely as the crowd erupted into noise.

Their hair was resemblant of a viking as always, braided on one side and left to flow free for the rest of their head. Weaved in their hair was ornaments of several kinds from golden and silver clips to feathers. Their entire body was covered head to toe except their hair and the top half of their face. A smile reached their eyes as the screams, cheers, whistles, and cries continued. Wraith was cheering and clapping, Marvin doing the same but Elliott could only stare at the masked figures. 

They held up a hand, “Hollywood,” they addressed, drawing it out in an almost scolding tone. More shouts and hollers. A soft, almost laugh from the mic, 

“Houston was much louder than you. I heard a lot about the energy here, and I was excited. I’m a little disappointed now,” their thick accent laced perfectly with the taunting tone, the crowd bubbling with noise again. They looked back to their band members, 

“Let’s give them one more chance. I want you to be so loud nobody can sleep in this town!” they said, voice a little louder as they turned back to the crowd, “Come on!”

“Let’s hear some fucking noise!!” Octane screamed, shredding out a few notes from his bass. Lifeline joined him with a beat. They played loudly, encouraging the crowd. Elliott screamed loudly with his friends and the crowd, deafening in the bowl shaped divot they lie in. Bloodhound waved their arms upwards, conducting the crowd louder and louder. 

They grabbed the mic, _“I am Blóðhundur!!”_ they shouted loudly, shredding their guitar with passion as the lights flashed. The band exploded into song, intense and impossibly intoxicating to hear. The crowd ate it right up, Elliott screaming and jumping along with everyone else. 

Bloodhound sang passionately into the microphone, loud and heady. Elliott lost himself to the energy of the concert, singing along to some of the songs and screaming when the crowd did. Wraith undid her bun at some point, when most of it had fallen out from her headbanging along to the music. Elliott knew his hair was a mess, and Marvin looked messier than he ever let himself look, and their throats would ache the next day, and their arms were sore from clapping, but nobody cared. In those moments, the only things that existed were contained in the Hollywood Bowl. 

Time passed by in a flash, and before Elliott knew it, the music began to die down. Octane stopped dancing around the stage, and Lifeline’s drums slowed, mixing with Gibraltar’s keyboard to offer ambient background noise, 

“ _Félagi_ Los Angeles, you have been absolutely amazing. Your energy is unmatched, but let’s take it slow for a moment,” Bloodhound said, hair slightly messy and eyeliner more smudged than before. Their voice was what got to Elliott, rough and husky from their heavy songs of before. They way they said “take it slow” was enough to get Elliott’s mind working in the wrong- maybe the right- way.

Bloodhound moved the mic closer to the crowd, standing just near the ledge of the stage. They looked out over the crowd, grabbing an acoustic guitar Elliott hadn’t even noticed perched to the side, and set their electric one aside. 

The strap set over their shoulder, they began their next song. Their fingers threaded along the strings like it was second nature, Octane joining the slow sound with his bass. The drums beat slowly in Elliott’s gut, the lights dimming low. The angle of the light on Bloodhound made them look like angel. 

Elliott was captivated as Bloodhound began to sing Care Package, their eyes shut as they sang passionately. The crowd swayed slowly, cheers ringing out once in a while. Now and then, Bloodhound waved their hand for the crowd to sing with them as they went through their songs, slow and soft as a lover. Elliott sang passionately with them, captivated by the sound of everyone’s voices mixing. 

Bloodhound finished their last original song, and laughed softly as they looked out to the crowd, “Some of you may recognize this one. Join me,” they said, fixing the mic. They grabbed their electric guitar again and the crowd jolted with sound.

They leaned into the microphone, and they began to hum, deep and slow in their throat. The crowd went wild as they recognized the song, and Bloodhound’s eyes crinkled in a smile but they kept going. 

Elliott knew the song too. Arsonist’s Lullaby by Hozier. Bloodhound had covered this song before, and Elliott was in love with their voice around the words. The drums began as they played their guitar, the sound reverberating through Elliott’s body. Their voice came through sultry, voice roughened by the heavy songs of before but Elliott couldn’t imagine a better sound. Their eyes were shut as they sang, 

_“When I was a child, I heard voices... Some would sing and some would scream. You soon find you have few choices… I learned the voices died with me.”_

They stomped their foot on the stage in time to the song.

_“When I was a child, I'd sit for hours, staring into open flame.”_

Their eyes opened, looking not at the stage, but right at Elliott. His heart dropped out of his stomach and his body lit up with heat as he sang along to the song. Bloodhound’s eyes were heavy lidded and seductive as they sang, slowly swaying their body. 

_“Something in it had a power, could barely tear my eyes away.”_

They were still looking at Elliott, as if singing this song just for him. No way were they actually looking at him. He glanced to his side, at his friends, but they were staring up at the stage. He glanced behind him, then back up at the singer. Was that a smile in their eyes? 

_“All you have is your fire… And the place you need to reach- Don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep them on a leash.”_

They hummed soft and slow, eyes fluttering closed for a moment. Elliott could see the crease in their brow and the way their body moved to the music.

_“When I was 16, my senses fooled me. Thought gasoline was on my clothes. I knew that something would always rule me...I knew the scent was mine alone. All you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach. Don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep them on a leash”_

Elliott’s mind was both numb and had so many thoughts racing through it. Their gaze and voice were passionate, leaving Elliott absolutely breathless. He felt like he was in a room with no air, but he would never leave. Bloodhound shut their eyes again, voice gaining passion and grit. 

_”When I was a man I thought it ended. When I knew love's perfect ache, but my peace has always depended on all the ashes in my wake.”_

Their eyes opened, meeting Elliott’s again. Concerts were a place where everyone became one, where everyone was equal as they all sang the same song. But in those moments, when Bloodhound’s eyes met only Elliott’s, nothing in the universe existed except for them. The world fell away as Elliott listened, wrapped up in Marvin’s oversized jacket, his own voice soft in order to hear the person on the stage.

_“All you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach. Don't you ever tame your demons, but always keep them on a leash…”_

The crowd cheered loudly, screams and shouts of how much they loved Bloodhound. They looked out to the crowd, raising a fist as the lights went up. They laughed, 

“Let’s get your blood pumping again, huh?” their energy was back, eyes fiery. The stage bloomed into noise again, and it was a metal concert once more. They sang their newest song, the reason for the tour, Apex Predator. The energy picked up as if it had never slowed, lights flashing brightly as the beat pulsed. When the song finished, bursts of fireworks went off above the dome of the stage, blossoming flowers of light into the sky. 

“Thank you, Los Angeles, you were beautiful!!” Bloodhound screamed, the crowd screaming and shouting and overall making as much noise as they could. Elliott joined them, throat raw but he cared not. The stage went black again, and Elliott helped his friends make sure they had everything. 

Wraith looked wide awake, invigorated as she tied her hair up in a messy bun, and Marvin spoke quickly in a rant about how amazing that was and how good of a time he’d had. 

“We’re not done yet, my friend!” Elliott reminded, grinning at his hoarse voice, “We’ve got the ba-backstage passes, remember? We’re meeting the band!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me here!  
> \- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChubbyGhost3)
> 
>  
> 
> As always give some big love to my beta reader Rain idk where I'd be without them!  
> \- [Tumblr](http://nbbloodhound.tumblr.com/)  
> \- [Ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pi3rsquare/pseuds/pi3rsquare)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter took a little longer because life things have been happening, but don't worry! I won't give up on this story, it's my baby ahah 
> 
> I hope you guys have been having good times while I was gone! I love y'all, and hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Warning: there is a very, very small mention of some misgendering)

Wraith bounced on her feet slightly as they waited for most of the concert to clear out. Marvin and Elliott stared up at the fireworks show until it died off, leaving just grey clouds of smoke against the moonlight. Security guards walked around, escorting people out and finding people with the lanyards and bracelets they had. 

“Right this way!” an officer said, waving them along when Marvin showed their items. Elliott’s group followed behind, joining a group of at least two hundred other people. Wraith stuck close to her friends, Marvin keeping an arm linked with hers so they wouldn’t lose her when they started walking as a huge group.

The group they walked in was full of noise, everyone talking about the concert excitedly. Elliott tried to listen to his friends talk, but he honestly couldn’t make himself focus on anything but the image of Bloodhound in his mind, looking down at him with dark, sultry eyes and an air of mystery surrounding them. His breath was still taken by their halo of fiery hair and beautiful voice.

He felt himself jerked to the side, “Hey!” he yelped.

Wraith looked up at him, gripping his arm, “Earth to Elliott. You were about to walk off in the wrong direction,” she huffed and pulled him along again. Marvin looked down at him and smiled, 

“What’re you thinking about?”

“Oh, nothing,” Elliott said, trying to shake his head back into focus. It hardly worked, his mind going back to the way their body swayed as they sang. He had the fleeting image of their hair splayed out around them like a fan, body swaying as he made them sing. Dammit, Elliott, focus. Getting a hard on right now was the worst thing he could do. He blinked quickly, looking over to Marvin and Wraith.

Marvin was saying something about a video game that Elliott didn’t play, waving his hand as he explained. Wraith was smiling a little as she listened, nodding along. Elliott sighed into the night air, the smell of settling firework smoke light in the air. He busied his mind as he walked by watching some guy and girl ahead of him try to outdo each other in vape tricks.

Eventually they had walked around the bowl to a large building just next door. At the door, lit up with florescent light bulbs, was the entire band waiting. The crowd freaked out, and Elliott felt a little nauseous at Bloodhound’s eyes scanning over the crowd. All the members had their masks off except for Bloodhound. They were well known for nobody having ever seen more of them than their hair and the top half of their face. Elliott had heard several stupid conspiracies about why it was that they didn’t show anything. Frankly, he just thought it was for style reasons.

Bloodhound and a security guard with brown, swept back hair and a beard opened the glass doors to let everyone in. As they filtered in, Octane and Lifeline were running through saying hello to everyone. Gibraltar was high-fiving and shaking hands on the inside of the building. Elliott met eyes with Bloodhound for only a moment before he was pushed through the door.

The building was lit up in blue and purple light, bright enough to clearly see but dark enough to be ambient. It was much prettier and larger on the inside than Elliott had expected. The dance floor was huge, made up of white, sleek tiles. Music pumped loud and heavy through tall speakers near a simple black stage in front of the dance floor. There was a hallway near the back that probably led to even more rooms, but it grew darker that way. The grey walls were covered with Allfather posters as well as a lip that ran around one half of the room that stuck out far enough for people to sit on. There was a bar in one corner with prices for food and drinks hanging overhead.

Marvin gasped, “I’m starving!” he said, running off to the bar. Wraith laughed at him, standing close to Elliott as people made their way inside. Elliott looked around the room, watching people slowly find their cliques and areas to stand in. 

“Welcome to the afterparty!” Lifeline’s voice rang out. The band was up on stage together, looking happy and almost relaxed. The room filled with cheers, the band joining in. Once it calmed again, Lifeline spoke once more, “Enjoy yourselves! We’re all here to make friends!” she laughed and jumped off the stage to join the crowd. One by one the band jumped down into the crowd of people, immediately swarmed by people wanting autographs and photos. 

Marvin weaved through the crowd, running up and grinning as he held out a container of french fries and three water bottles, “Let’s eat, then party!” he said excitedly.

Elliott laughed, shoving some fries in his mouth, “Couldn’t have gotten us some beers?”

“You need to hydrate first!” Marvin scolded, grinning nonetheless when Elliott took the water and drank about half of it in one go. 

“Let’s fucking party after this,” he said, eyes drawn to the dark dance floor full of bodies and pumping music. 

__

Bloodhound stood straight again, capping the permanent marker they had just been using to sign a drunk woman’s breasts over her slightly lowered tank top. One of the side effects of having an age restriction on the after parties was that there were always people under some influence or another. They didn’t mind, frankly, they found it amusing more than anything.

They tucked the marker back into their back pocket, leaning in for a photo with the woman. Octane laughed happily as the photo was taken, pointing to the woman’s signed breasts and grinning. Her friends all squealed with laughter as they looked at the photo. Bloodhound left that group, stopped by a few others on their way to shake hands or take photos. 

They found their main security guard, Alexander. They leaned against the wall next to him, watching his eyes survey the scene. 

“Move to the door,” they said, “Watch who leaves, and don’t let anyone leave with someone who’s bracelets don’t match. People are starting to get drunk.”

Alexander nodded, glancing to Bloodhound, “You take that policy very seriously, don’t you?”

“Best to avoid as many accidents as we can,” they said simply, “Even adults need a babysitter now and then,” they mused, humor in their face. Alexander almost smiled, but they knew he agreed. He left to guard the door with another security officer and check bracelets. Bloodhound kept color coordinated bracelets after what was almost a terrible event at one of their early shows. They hated to think what would have happened had Alexander not had such a watchful eye and saw the man try to take home a girl he didn’t know.

Since hiring Alexander onto their team, they’d failed to have any reports of incidents on their hands. They trusted no one else with the matter more than him.

Their moment alone was short lived, a group of men coming up and asking for photos. They obliged, of course. In the corner they could see Ajay taking a selfie with a boy in a seafoam green polo. That was an interesting color to wear to a concert like theirs, but the color complimented his blue hair anyways.

They brushed their hair off their shoulder, the men standing around them and taking selfies. They posed, working their eyes and eyebrows well. It was going to be a long night of autographs and photos, but the parties were always fun. They hoped to find someone to entertain them, like their friends seemed to do so easily.

__

Elliott sighed as he patted his hands dry on his pants, leaving the bathroom. He yawned quietly, the bass of the current song thumping in his chest. Marvin had been dragged off to the dance floor by a group of girls who thought he was cute, and Wraith was currently talking to a group of other girls excitedly. That left him to entertain himself alone. That was fine, he could find someone to chat up for the night. 

He was thinking about what to occupy himself with when he ran into a solid form, almost knocked right off his feet. He was about to apologise when he saw just who he had run into. He saw the styled red hair and gas mask, brain struggling to process for a moment. They were shorter than he imagined, looking larger than life on stage. They were also strikingly beautiful, even in the dim light.

Bloodhound was looking at him, eyebrows pinched. Fuck, were they saying something. Elliott shook his head, 

“I-I’m so sorry!” he said, “I sh-should’ve watched where I w-was going!” he stammered, cheeks burning. They looked him over, a quick scan of their eyes,

“It’s okay. No harm done,” they said calmly. Holy shit, Bloodhound was actually talking to him. His cheeks felt like they were on fire, his stomach rolling, as he tried to lay on the suave.

“Nice to meet you! My name’s Elliott Witt!” he said, smiling and flipping his hair out of his face.

“Elliott,” they said, thick accent wrapping around his name so prettily, shaking his hand gently. Their leather gloves were cool against his hand, and he shoved his hand into his pocket upon pulling away.

“Nice to meet you,” they repeated, glancing around as if expecting someone.

“Could I, uh, could I get a picture?” he asked suddenly. Bloodhound’s eyes seemed amused as they nodded, moving closer as Elliott took out his phone. He stood close to them, grinning at the camera. Bloodhound’s eyes expressed everything they needed to, looking welcoming and happy. Their body was warm next to his.

“That’s amazing,” Elliott said, laughing excitedly. Bloodhound’s eyes crinkled slightly in a smile, then they turned their attention to the crowd not far from them. 

“So, uh, how do you, uh, like California? This is the band’s first concert here, right?” he asked, scrambling for a subject to talk to them about. They looked back to him, then nodded,

“Yes, it is our first time here. It is nice here, but hot,” they admitted. Elliott laughed softly,

“Yeah, SoCal gets like that! Way cooler up north where I’m from!”

“You are from Canada?” they asked. Elliott grinned, 

“No, northern California! L-Little town called Re-Redding, it’s not much but it’s home!” he said, smiling awkwardly. They nodded,

“Small towns tend to be boring. What do you do?” they asked, seeming genuinely curious. Holy shit, Bloodhound was actually curious about him? 

“Well, I mostly just go to school and work! Not much,” he laughed awkwardly, scratching at his arm and shutting himself before he started to ramble. 

“That does sound boring,” they said pensively.

“Well, that’s not all I do!” Elliott said, realizing Bloodhound was going to think he was boring. They looked at him, not responding but clearly curious. He felt his cheeks get hot under their attention, 

“W-Well, I have a-a band with my friends,” he admitted, glancing away. Bloodhound tilted their head a bit, silently beckoning for more information.

“It’s ju-just a small band, but my dream is that someday we’ll be big as Allfather. Your band in-inspi-ipsi, we look up to you a lot,” he laughed, feeling weirdly sentimental about it. He glanced at Bloodhound, and they seemed to be smiling just slightly.

“Your band. What is it called?” they asked.

“M-My band? It’s called Mirage!” he said, “Kind of a dumb name, I guess, and we’re not very good since-”

Bloodhound interrupted him, “You wish to be famous, you will get nowhere close if you are consumed by self doubt. A bad beginning draws a bad end, _félagi_ , remember that. Every show you have, know you are the one they have come to see. Trust yourself, and you cannot fail,” they said seriously, eyes sharp. Elliott felt like they were looking directly into his soul.

“I’ll keep that in mind…” he said softly, breathless in their gaze. They nodded once, looking content. 

“What do you play in your band?” they asked, casual once again.

“Me? I just sing. I’ve got other people in my band though! M-My friend Marvin plays guitars, and my other friend Wraith plays bass. Our drummer didn’t want to come, but her name is Anita.”

“What genre are you? Metal?”

“Kinda indie rock, I guess,” Elliott said, shrugging. Bloodhound nodded, 

“I like that genre,” they said, “I think you would have a good voice for it. It is good you have friends in your band. Getting along is something you will need to do as you grow in fame.”

“Yeah, touring with people you don’t like wouldn’t be fun,” Elliott said, the knot loosening in his stomach. He looked at Bloodhound, “Can I buy you a drink?” he asked, then blushed when he remembered the mask. He laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck and looking to the side. Bloodhound made a sound like a laugh, breathy and quiet,

“I do not drink during tours, but _takk fyrir_ ,” they said genuinely. Elliott’s heart stuttered, and he opened his mouth to say something. He was interrupted by a burst of sound, shouting. Bloodhound’s head shot to the crowd that had gathered in a circle. Elliott saw the security guard from earlier rushing in between the people.

“It was nice to meet you, Elliott. Safe travels, I hope to see you again soon,” and they rushed away after the man with the beard into the crowd. He could see other guards and Gibraltar pushing the crowd away.

Elliott was frozen for a few moments, thinking about the fact that he had just held a conversation with his idol, until Wraith came up and leaned in, “Holy shit, a fight? What happened?” she asked. He looked at her, eyebrows pinching briefly, 

“No clue… Maybe Marvin knows?” he asked.

Wraith frowned, “He was in the crowd. We need to find him,” she said. Elliott nodded, looking at the jumbled crowd again. There was a lot of noise, and he could see Bloodhound and Gibraltar dragging a man with a busted lip outside.

“You stay here, I’ll find him in the crowd,” he said.

Wraith nodded, watching Elliott head off. He moved through the crowded floor, trying to block out the wall of noise surrounding him on all sides. He found Marvin by the wall with two girls at his sides. He looked a little drunk, and very frustrated. A girl was patting his shoulder, having to reach far up to even do so.

Elliott took him by the arm, tugging him along, “Bye, ladies!” he said. They waved back, telling Marvin goodbye.

Marvin waved to the girls gently, walking beside his friend. He looked to Elliott, “Why are you taking me away?” he asked. Elliott shook his head, 

“Because there was a fight, and you look like you’re about to go off,” he said frankly.

“I am!” Marvin huffed as they approached Wraith.

“What’s wrong?” Wraith asked, looking at Marvin. He crossed his arms childishly, 

“I made friends, and all of a sudden people just want to argue! Nobody can just have a nice night!”

“What were they arguing about?” Elliott asked, glancing to the door. It was closed, and there was no sign of Bloodhound or Gibraltar.

“Someone was being shitty about the band!” he said, looking outraged, “They weren’t even a fan!” 

He tended to curse a little more when he was upset, and even more frequently when he’d been drinking. Elliott reached out and rubbed his arm consolingly, knowing it took a lot to get Marvin worked up.

“What were they saying?” Wraith asked, leading the group towards the bar to buy a drink.

Marvin scratched his cheek, looking away, “He was saying they were bad, something like they all had ugly accents,” he grimaced, “And then he called Bloodhound a girl,” his voice raised a little, and he crossed his arms again, “I don’t get why people have to be mean! Why come if you’re not going to be happy?”

“I know, buddy,” Elliott said, patting his friend on the arm and handing him a small box of fries he bought for him. He took a beer offered by Wraith and leaned against the wall.

“That is shitty,” Wraith said, looking a little disappointed, “I hope it doesn’t ruin the whole night.”

Marvin was eating his fries grumpily as Elliott responded, “It’s not being shut down, so I think it’ll be okay. Let’s just try to enjoy the rest of the night, okay? It’s handled.”

They drank and ate by the wall until the energy of the party was restored and Marvin wasn’t angry, cracking jokes until he started laughing so hard he had to stop eating his fries lest he choke. Afterwards, they moved into the party and danced together, not really taking it serious and having a good night. 

Elliott scanned the crowd for Bloodhound, but they were occupied by guards every time he spotted them, so he found no opportunity to talk to them again save for a small smile and wave to one another when the party ended.

They all drank more, enough that Marvin had to lean against Elliott on their way to the taxi when Wraith called it. Wraith was giggling on the way back to the motel, babbling about the concert and party with Marvin. Elliott found his drunken mind filled with Bloodhound and the way their words infiltrated his very soul. They were even more hypnotic in person than on stage, seeming to draw the whole world’s attention without ever trying. He hoped he'd get the chance to talk to them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering what Allfather sounds like, Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace are what they sound like in my head!
> 
> Come check me out!  
> \- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChubbyGhost3)  
> \- [Apex Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imagineapexlegends)
> 
> And of course a shout out to my amazing beta reader Rain! They've been wonderful with helping me make things flow! Give them some love!
> 
> \- [Tumblr](http://nbbloodhound.tumblr.com/)  
> \- [Ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pi3rsquare/pseuds/pi3rsquare)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, all! I hope you're all doing good! I love hearing back from you guys! Come talk to me and we can be friends <3 
> 
> This one's a bit long but I'm really enjoying writing the wholesome content ahah I hope y'all enjoy it too!

Bloodhound dragged themselves into the tour bus, feet aching from standing on them all day. They yawned under their mask as they watched Ajay and Octavio throw themselves onto separate couches attached to the walls. Makoa yawned widely, going to the very small half kitchen and opening the mini fridge. 

“Beers, anyone?”

Ajay and Octane both raised tired arms, Bloodhound shaking their head politely and walking over to the couch Octavio was on. He raised his legs in the air for Bloodhound to sit down, plopping them back down in their lap right after. They didn’t wince at the metal digging in their thigh, used to it by now. Makoa walked over and handed cans of beer to the lounging musicians, a bottle of water being handed to Bloodhound before he sat down next to Ajay. 

Bloodhound set the bottle aside and removed their mask, dropping it onto the seat and sighing. It got very sweaty under there, sometimes, even through the powder on their face. They drank about half the water, the bus full of blissful silence save for the sound of Alexander doing something at the front of the bus outside. 

They leaned their head back against the bulletproof glass, eyes shutting a moment.

“Good show tonight,” Makoa said, sipping from his can. Octavio was nodding when Bloodhound looked at him,

“Yeah! Their energy was awesome!” he said, laughing happily. Ajay grinned tiredly, leaning against Makoa gently, 

“I always love concerts like that. Everyone was so involved!” she said, laughing. Bloodhound nodded, looking up as Alexander stepped into the bus and shut the doors, Makoa going to the fridge and grabbing Alexander a water too. He took it silently, sighing and leaning against the wall of the bus.

“Could never do it without Bloodhound,” Makoa said, grinning and raising his can. Ajay, Octane, and Alexander followed suit with their drinks.

“Cheers!” 

They tapped their cans and bottles together, laughing softly. Bloodhound felt a little shy under their small praises. They drank a sip of water, 

“None of us would be here without each other. Ajay’s beat carries the whole song, and Octavio has enough energy to fill a stadium. Makoa keeps their attention, and we’d be in the desert without Alexander,” they laughed softly. They cheered again, toasting one another one by one.

“That Hozier song really got them! Did you see them all swaying and holding up their flashlights? It was beautiful!” Ajay gushed. Bloodhound smiled but didn’t respond, thinking about the man in the crowd. What was his name? Elliott. He had a band like theirs. 

“Are we ready to go home?,” Alexander interrupted their thoughts, crushing his empty water bottle. Octavio groaned loudly, 

“Yes! I’m starving!”

“Oh yeah, just wasting away!” Makoa laughed heartily. Ajay giggled softly, nudging Octavio’s arm with her foot.

Alexander turned and walked to the front of the bus, seating himself and starting the engine. 

“Dibs on first shower!” Ajay said, making her friends groan. Bloodhound smiled lightly. They just wanted to get this damned makeup off their face, and a hot shower sounded heavenly.

As the bus took off, the members lounged about lazily, listening to the faint music from the speakers. At some point, Ajay had found a pack of candy and was not sharing with Octavio.

“Why not!” he whined, arm held out desperately. Bloodhound was holding the back of his crop top shirt so he wouldn’t fall off the seat from how far he was stretched. 

“You take them all!” Ajay said, leaning dramatically away from him, “I’ll give you some, but I pick how much!” she said.

“Yes!” Octavio laughed, reaching his hand impossibly further. Ajay grinned and put one piece into his hand. Octavio pouted and moved back into his seat with Bloodhound’s help while the three laughed. Octavio ate his single piece of candy sadly.

“This sucks!” he huffed, “I’m fucking hungry!”

“We should get food then!” Makoa said, grinning, “Something fast?” he suggested. Ajay considered it a moment, then nodded finally. Octavio, Bloodhound knew, would eat just about anything anyways so it didn’t matter. The three looked to Bloodhound for confirmation of their plan. Bloodhound nodded, shutting their eyes and resting their head back.

“Are we changing direction?” Alexander asked. 

“Yes,” Octavio said, drawing out the sound playfully. Bloodhound felt the bus make a turn opposite the way they were headed. They relaxed in their seat, not sleeping but resting. They had much to think about. They listened to their friends play about, thoughts about their next steps on their tour moving slowly through their head.

“Remember, we have photo shoots after this tour. And we have a special interview in New York afterwards, and other interviews,” they said, raising their head to look at their friends. 

Makoa nodded, “You got it, brotha. We should call our agency and make sure they’ve got our next stop settled.”

“I’ll do that,” Bloodhound said, resting their head back again and sighing. The bus stopped, Octavio lurching in Bloodhound’s lap.

“We’re at a plaza. Go find something,” Alexander said, the bus doors opening. Makoa, Ajay, and Octavio stood, stretching and grabbing their wallets. 

“You coming?” Ajay asked. Bloodhound opened an eye to look at her, 

“I don’t eat fast food, you know that. I’ll find something to eat later,” they said, standing and stretching their arms over their head so they wouldn’t fall asleep yet. 

Makoa smiled, clapping a large hand on their shoulder, “Don’t starve. You need your energy,” he said, turning and leaving the bus with the other two in tow. Alexander shut the door and reclined in his seat. Bloodhound seated themselves on the stairs before the door, messing with a shoelace.

“What’s the plan between tour spots? We have about a week before we need to be in Tokyo, right?” Alexander said.

“Less than that. Half a week, the other half is travel and planning,” they said, leaning against the railing on the stairs, “We get to split up. Octavio mentioned some Hollywood party. I think he will be going with Ajay and Makoa.”

“And you won’t?”

Bloodhound laughed and looked back at Alexander, “You know that is not my thing. I’d rather enjoy a quiet part of the week before we continue with the insanity,” they said, “I feel as though I’m going to have grey hair after this tour.”

“Octavio has hair dye for that, I’m sure,” Alexander said, huffing softly with an almost laugh.

“Was that a joke?” Bloodhound asked, smirking at the older man, “From you? This tour really is insanity.”

“Silence. What are you planning to do until we leave?”

“We could take a trip,” Bloodhound suggested, “Find something to entertain ourselves instead of a party.”

“What do you suggest?”

“Well,” Bloodhound said, “I can think of a few things until we leave.”

“Very well,” their friend said, rising to his feet and walking to the back of the bus. He returned with another water bottle, sighing as he changed the radio station a few times until finding something classical and soft. Bloodhound rested against the railing, enjoying the quiet until the rest of the band returned. When they did, they sat back on the seats together and ate in silence. 

Ajay smiled at Bloodhound as she handed them a pack of dried seaweed and an apple. They ate quietly, thanking her with a nod of their head. The drive back to the hotel was peaceful, as well as the way to their suite. When they got inside, Bloodhound could hear their raven cawing loudly, sensing their return. They adjusted the bag slung on their shoulder, going to their room and setting their things down. They opened the birdcage and held out their arm for their raven to climb up.

“Calm down, I will feed you right now. You already finished your bowl?” they said, exasperated as she hopped onto their shoulder. They searched through their things until finding the bag for the raven. They cleaned her cage, listening to her chortle and squawk in their ear.

They fed her and left the cage open, sighing as they left to the main room to wait for their turn to shower. Makoa was seated on the sofa alone. Bloodhound took a seat next to him, watching as he scrolled through stations on the television. 

“Tonight was a good night, huh?” he said, grinning. Bloodhound nodded and smiled slightly.

“Yes, good.”

“Everything okay? You’ve been a little quieter than usual today, brotha,” he said, turning to face them. They waved their hand, 

“I am fine. Tired, and our agents are like vultures,” they said, “Picking at me before I’ve settled. They want to plan a hundred things and I must find time for it.”

“Any way we can help?” Makoa said, serious. Bloodhound shook their head dismissively. They never allowed their band members to worry about such matters, only letting them know what they needed to know.

“You haven’t got to handle it all alone, you know?” he scolded.

“You have all done enough for me already. Nothing I cannot handle. Worry not, alright? Are you going to call Kai?” they asked, changing the subject. Makoa gave them a look, then nodded.

“I will after I shower. He’s awake right now, I think,” he said, brightening at the talk of his boyfriend but Bloodhound could see homesickness in him as well.

“Tell him I say hello,” they said, “And that I wish him well.”

“Will do,” he said, lounging back again. Bloodhound stood as Octavio left the single bathroom, wearing naught but a towel loosely around his waist.

“I’m going to take the next shower,” they announced, heading to the bathroom and shutting the door. They breathed in the steam in the air, sighing as they pulled the shirt off their body and started the water.

__

The drive home was long and relatively boring, Elliott nursing a hangover for much of the morning. Marvin, the lucky bastard, had absolutely no hangover despite having been hammered and passing out by the time they got back to the hotel. Wraith was in Elliott’s same position, cuddling a water bottle like it were her best friend for the entire ride home.

Marvin sang quietly for much of the ride, controlling what played over the radio using his phone. Elliott was too focused on driving to request many songs. 

When they stopped at a gas station to rest for a bit, Elliott’s mom called.

“Hello?” he said, rubbing his forehead. He’d called her when they first started driving to let her know he’d be coming home today.

“You’re bringing your friends over when you get home, right?” she asked.

“Uh… I wasn’t planning on it. We have classes tomorrow,” he said. 

“Oh I don’t care about that, you guys had a long weekend! They should come over for dinner!”

Elliott knew there was no point in dissuading his mother. He turned to where Marvin was tying his shoe, “Hey, Marv! Wraith!”

“Yeah?” he said, standing and looking at him. Wraith looked up from inside the car, chewing on a piece of licorice. 

“You guys feel like coming over to my house for dinner tonight?”

“We have classes tomorrow, don’t we?” Wraith said, looking to Marvin. He nodded. Elliott laughed, 

“You know my mom doesn’t care. She wants to feed you guys,” he said. Marvin shrugged, grinning,

“Sure! I always like your mom’s cooking!” he said happily. Wraith nodded her agreement. Elliott turned away again with his phone,

“Yeah, they’ll come!” he said, “We’ll be home tonight.”

“Okay, don’t you all snack too much! You’ll spoil your appetites!” she warned, “Love you, sweetie! Be safe!” she said, making a few kissing noises.

“Love you too, Mama,” he said before hanging up. He and Marvin switched seats so Elliott could nap in the back seat. When they finally did arrive home, they left their bags in the car for now. Marvin and Wraith got out, immediately enveloped in Elliott’s mom’s arms. He laughed as she kissed the two all over their faces, pulling Marvin down to reach. 

“I missed you two!” she gushed, laughing. Marvin grinned, kissing her cheek sweetly,

“I missed you too, Mama!” he said. Wraith was busy trying to not suffocate in the group hug. Elliott grinned and laughed as he walked into the house, yanked back off the porch to be wrapped into his mother’s hug too.

“Hi, Mama,” he laughed. His mother kissed his cheeks, rocking the three excitedly. 

“Come on!” she said, releasing them and shuffling quickly into the house. The three followed, mussed up slightly. 

His mom sat them all down at the dinner table, preparing their plates. Marvin grinned, 

“What did you make?” he asked. 

“Enchiladas, rice, beans, and a salad! I made part of it with no meat for you, mijo,” she said, ruffling Marvin’s blue hair. He laughed, 

“Thank you, Mama!” he gushed as she set a full plate in front of him. She set more plates in front of everyone, filling glasses with guava juice and setting down an impossibly large amount of things to top their food down with.

“Mama, sit down and eat,” Elliott scolded lightly, knowing his mom would keep fussing the whole dinner if she was allowed. She smiled and sat with her own plate, finally.

“So, how was the concert?” she prompted. Right away, the table was filled with chatter, everyone throwing in their own stories of the entire trip. His mother listened with rapt attention, asking questions about band members she had no clue about. Wraith talked about some friends she’d made at the after party, making Elliott’s mother smile excitedly. 

Marvin and Wraith ended up staying the night, dragging their bags into the house and staying in Elliott’s room with him. They talked late into the night about too many things. In the morning, they called Anita and planned to meet up after their classes were done to plan for the concert they had that weekend. 

They practiced over and over at Anita’s home, going over their routine so many times it became almost tiring to do. However, they were perfect by the end of it.

“We’ve got this down packed,” Anita said, clapping Elliott on the shoulder, “Feel ready for this weekend?”

“Hell yeah,” Elliott said with a laugh, “We’ve got this!”

Wraith smiled from her spot on the couch, “I believe in us. We’ll wow them,” she said, “They’ll spread the word, and they’ll be screaming our names soon enough,” she said hopefully. Marvin peeked out from the kitchen, grinning,

“That’s the spirit! We’ve got this, guys!” he said, shooting a thumbs up. Anita smirked and nodded, looking confident. Elliott’s gut tightened as he thought of what Bloodhound said.

__

Elliott bounced his leg in his chair, looking around the green room they sat in. Wraith was ready, dressed in her purple and black striped sweater and ripped jeans. She was picking at her painted nails nervously, looking at him as if studying his behavior. Elliott gave a toothy smile, looking over to where Marvin sat. He wore a black flare dress with pretty flowers on it and black boots. He was playing air guitar against his thigh, practicing.

Anita walked down the stairs, the flannel tied around her waist swaying as she moved, “Ready in five,” she said. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, an air of unwavering confidence wafting off of her. How did she do it? He didn’t think he’d ever seen her nervous in the few years they’d known each other.

“Does my hair look okay?” Elliott asked. Anita rolled her eyes, 

“You look fine, princess. Don’t worry about it, I doubt anyone would notice anyways,” she assured.

“Hey! People are going to be staring at me! I have to look perfect!”

“I think you look handsome,” Marvin said sweetly, smiling. Elliott laughed, winking at him playfully. Wraith groaned, 

“Ugh, stop flirting, you two.”

“What?” Elliott laughed, “He’s the only one who returns it!”

Marvin giggled, “You all look great! We all do!” Elliott noticed how his eyes lingered on Wraith, watching her adjust the bun in her hair for a moment before he looked away to the stairway. Elliott smirked at Anita, who had been watching too. She raised her eyebrows briefly, looking entertained. They fell back into a brief, comfortable silence until they heard a voice from the top of the stairs call,

“Ready for Mirage on stage!”

Anita kicked away from the wall, “Ready to rock and roll, ladies?”

“Ready as ever,” Elliott said, pulling a grin onto his face and leading the band up the steep stairs. He fidgeted with the sleeves of his leather jacket, trying to get out some of his energy. He stood with his friends at the edge of the curtains as the announcer spoke, voice loud even from the thick curtains on either side of the stage.

“...from right here in Redding, California, give it up for our newest group! Mirage!!” he shouted. The crowd went wild, shaking like an earthquake in the underground garage they resided in. Elliott led the group out, grinning and grabbing the mic,

“Good afternoon, Redding! How’re we doing tonight?” he asked, receiving cheers and shouts in answer. He basked in the attention of the crowd of a few hundred, feeling secure as ever with the eyes on him. He always loved being the center of attention. His mother always boasted he could control a room with just his smile. A born entertainer, she’d gushed, proud of all her boys.

“You all look great!” he laughed, looking out at the faces. He could hardly see through the cigarette and marijuana smoke and the stage lights in his eyes, “Let’s get this fucking show on the road!” he said, clipping the mic to the stand and looking over. Marvin grinned at the crowd, screams following the expression. Wraith laughed quietly, waving gently before placing her hands back on her bass guitar. 

Anita clacked her drum sticks together three times, and began the song. Marvin followed with his guitar, sharp and loud. Elliott kept tempo by tapping his foot on the ground, feeling the song in his chest. 

_“I'm not leaving tonight,”_ he sang, the crowd rising with noise and excitement. _“Cram the armour and chains where the sun will not shine. I'm not leaving tonight!”_

He looked out in the crowd, feeling like the world’s eyes were on him even if it was a small crowd. He saw a familiar set of eyes near the front of the crowd. The gaze was much more intense than anyone else’s. Where did he know that gaze? He lost them to the crowd right away, everyone moving too quickly for him to keep track of one person through the obscurities. He kept singing, holding the mic gently in his hands.

_“And who's to say they won't bitch out and shoot me on sight? Get that thing out my face!”_

He swayed with the song, getting into it quickly. He sang passionately, grinning as the crowd returned the energy. He encouraged the crowd to sing along, enjoying hearing their voices mix with his in the somewhat cramped room. He found himself emotional, almost. A group of people in some sort of underground garage filled with smoke and loud music, all enjoying the exact same moment and not caring if it was sweaty or cramped. And he got to lead them in that moment. His chest was tight as he kept singing, sweat beading on his brow from his dancing along the stage.

_“...And are truly the lowliest sheep of them all. And their eminence is fixed upon things we could burn in one go.”_

He was reaching the end of the song, the lights flickering around them to the beat of the song. When the lights flashed, he saw the face of a person who was watching him like a hungry wolf. Deep, auburn hair and a fashionable medical mask over their face. His heart stopped, ice chilling his veins as his brain processed what and who he was seeing.

Holy shit. Bloodhound was at his concert? Bloodhound was at his concert. He forced his eyes away, shutting them as he sang, heart pounding with spiked anxiety, hands shaky on the mic.

_“I'mma let Atlas fall. I'mma watch Atlas fall…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me! Let's be friends! <3  
> \- [Apex Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imagineapexlegends)  
> \- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChubbyGhost3)
> 
> -  
> As always a shout out to my GORGEOUS beta reader!! Idk where this story would be without them, to be honest!  
> \- [Tumblr](http://nbbloodhound.tumblr.com/)  
> \- [Ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pi3rsquare/pseuds/pi3rsquare)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again my friends!! I'm so happy to see you again I hope your lives have been swell! I'm back at it again with another chapter uwu we're getting close to the real fun stuff
> 
> I've had a few people ask me so I wanted to show you all what my Bloodhound looks like! [Click here uwu](https://imagineapexlegends.tumblr.com/post/184042496818/here-is-my-maskless-hound-i-love-them-sm-please)
> 
> I also have an Apex Legends discord, if anyone is interested in joining! [Right here uwu](https://discord.gg/aHuQZVC)  
> Or if the link doesn't work for you, here's the code! https://discord.gg/aHuQZVC
> 
> <3

The concert was fast, time flying as Elliott danced across the stage and high fived the audience members. He grinned and cheered with the crowd as they went wild over Marvin’s guitar solo, his slender fingers flying across the strings at speeds Elliott could never try. His heart was pounding by the time he and his friends ran back stage, leaving the cheering crowd and laughing excitedly once his friends were under the cover of the curtains and darkness.

“Mirage, everyone! Next up we have Summer’s Fall!” the announcer cheered, miles away from Elliott. Marvin squealed and bounced on the tips of his toes, the skirt of his dress flaring out like an umbrella. Anita looked happy, eyes crinkled and lips quirked to the side. Wraith grinned, cheeks flushed and eyes alight.

“We did great!” Elliott cheered, high fiving the three of them. Anita laughed as she indulged his waving hand, knowing he would not relent until she slapped her hand against his. Wraith hit his hand hard enough to sting, the two of them cheering excitedly. Wraith flapped her hands and laughed after, sleeves flying. 

“Come on!” Elliott said, “Let’s go down with everyone!” he said, grabbing Marvin’s hand as he ran past. Marvin laughed and reached out for Wraith, Anita following after the trio and shaking her head. Elliott could hear her laugh anyways.

They ushered down the dark side hall, grabbing a door that led out to the pit of the concert. They pushed through, swarmed by people all asking for photos and autographs and information. Elliott could see the other bands that had performed that night as well, and through the crowd the next band could be seen getting ready. 

Elliott signed autographs and took smiling photos, posing with his band members. The entire time, he only had one person on his mind. He scanned the crowd for their auburn hair, never spotting it. Perhaps it was too dark, or smoky. Either way, he broke away to search when the next band started, bass pumping in his chest as he made his way around.

Had he imagined them? It wasn’t impossible was it? Plenty of people had red hair and brown eyes. Medical masks were in fashion, and he didn’t get a good look at them anyways. He made his way through the entire underground concert, peeking around the audience and searching the side areas. He didn’t spot them once. 

His chest felt tight from the smoke, and he went to Marvin who was enjoying the concert with everyone else. 

“Gonna go take a breather,” he said in Marvin’s ear. He got a thumbs up in return, Marvin turning back to the music. Elliott weaved his way through the concert until he got to the exit door, leading out to an alleyway. The concrete walls were covered in graffiti with cigarette burns and old pieces of gum scattered about. He coughed softly as he walked away from the heavy room, clearing his lungs.

He leaned against a clean part of the wall, shuffling his foot against the gravel on the ground. He flipped his hair out of his face, jumping when a voice spoke right next to him.

“Might I have an autograph?”

He turned and grinned, “Of course!” he said, his brain registering just a moment later who had spoken. Bloodhound stood right next to him, dressed in a green jacket with black fur around the hood. Their eyes crinkled slightly as he fumbled for words. 

“A-Are you serious?” he finally managed. They nodded, pulling their hand out of their jacket pocket and holding out a pen. Elliott could have fainted as he took the pen, hand trembling. He laughed anxiously.

“Wh-Where do I sign?” he asked, clearing his throat to keep himself from sounding so nervous. Bloodhound reached back into their pocket and took out a small notepad, flipping through to a blank page. They held it out, 

“I want one from each band member,” they said gently. Elliott shook his hand to keep it from shaking, focusing as he signed his name in a looping pattern. He hesitated, then wrote his phone number down and drew a smiling face. Shoot your shot, he told himself, why not?

He awkwardly handed it back with the pen. They took it gently and looked at the paper, eyes studying it for a moment before tucking the items away again. Why did that make him so nervous? Did they notice the phone number? Were they judging him? Maybe it was a bad move.

“ _Takk_. You were… very good, tonight,” they said, looking back up to him. His stomach was twisted up in knots as he replied.

“T-Th-Thank you s-so much! That means so, so much you don’t even know. Especially co-coming from someone li-like you and-” he gritted his teeth in an awkward smile, “I’m rambling. Sorry.”

“No need to apologise to me,” they said, raising a hand gently, “You are nervous. I get that often. You don’t-” 

Elliott jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, turning to see a tall, imposing man with a medical mask like Bloodhound’s but with a filter on the side. He’d seen him before, at the concert.

“Is this man causing any problems?” he asked Bloodhound, voice deep and serious.

Bloodhound shook their head, “I approached him, Nox. Thank you, though.” 

The grip released from Elliott’s shoulder, and he let out a shaky, breathy laugh. The man was… very creepy, to say the least. He walked to Bloodhound, leaning against the wall behind them. He coughed heavily, looking away.

“Good bodyguard you got there, huh?” Elliott said tensely. Bloodhound sounded apologetic,

“He takes his job seriously. I appreciate it,” they said. Elliott shuffled his foot again, feeling unreal. Bloodhound was really in front of him, looking at him. He forced himself to look away from their honeyed brown eyes, clearing his throat.

“So, uh, can I buy you a drink or something?” he asked, “There’s a bar not far from here! Just a block down, actually.” Did he really just ask them that? At the after party was one thing, but this was so much more personal.

“O-Oh, shit, wait. Your mask, damn, I’m-”

His cheeks felt hot as Bloodhound looked at him amusedly and interrupted him, 

“Would you care to walk with me there?” they said.

“O-Oh! Yeah, of course! Or, of course not? Sure, we can walk!” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets to hide how sweaty they were. Bloodhound turned and began to walk down the alley, towards the busy street, their footsteps purposeful and relaxed. Elliott followed them hurriedly, hearing the heavy footsteps of Bloodhound’s bodyguard follow behind.

“S-So,” he started, walking next to Bloodhound and trying to force away the anxiety in his stomach, “Nice night, huh?” he said, feeling stupid right after.

“It is a nice town. You live here, yes?” they asked, looking at him. 

“Yeah, lived here most of my life,” he admitted, smiling a little. They nodded gently, 

“You can see the stars here. You cannot in Los Angeles. LA they call it, for short?” they looked forward as they walked again, looking like they knew exactly where they were going despite probably having no clue.

“Yeah, where the concert was! I don’t know if I told you, but that concert was amazing! Best night of my life, really,” he laughed, brushing his hair out of his face, “You’re amazing to watch,” he gushed. Their eyes crinkled at the corners a bit, 

“Thank you, Elliott, I am always happy to meet fans. I am glad I inspired you to begin a band yourself. You have passion,” they said, “It is admirable.”

Elliott’s heart stuttered. Bloodhound of Allfather just complimented _him_? And remembered _his_ name? He felt like he was living in a dream. He was really talking to Bloodhound. 

“Thank you,” he said dumbly, searching for something else to say. They walked in silence for a bit, in no rush.

“So, why did you come to our concert?” Elliott asked, “And, like, how did you know it was tonight?”

Bloodhound did not seem fazed by the questions, “I came because I was in the states long enough to come, but I will be leaving tomorrow. I found your concert because it was on the internet.”

“You looked up my band?”

“Was I not supposed to? You did tell me about it, did you not?” they asked as they waited for a street light to turn so they could cross the street. 

“Well, I did, but I didn’t think you’d care enough to remember, let alone look us up,” he laughed.

“I would not disregard a fellow musician’s efforts so easily,” they said, stepping off the curb ahead of him. He watched them walk ahead for a moment, distracted. Their hair was in a high ponytail, bouncing as they walked in a way that reminded him of the cheerleaders at his old high school- if those cheerleaders wore scuffed combat boots and leather pants.

He caught up quickly, “Yeah but you were interested to come all this way,” he said, “That means a lot.”

“For good reason. It was worth it to come all this way,” they said casually as if their words didn’t make him almost trip over his own feet. He felt hot as he spoke, 

“Th-The bar’s just down the street,” he said, glancing back. The feeling of eyes on him had been present for the entire walk, but now it was really beginning to get unnerving. Maybe his nervousness was making him more sensitive. Then again, Nox had probably been watching them the entire time.

They walked in silence for a bit longer until Elliott heard screaming, but it was happy screaming. A car filled with girls drove by, windows down with women hanging out, 

“Bloodhound!!” they screamed over and over, “I love you!!” 

Bloodhound waved widely, their eyes shining. Elliott laughed softly as the car continued, sceams left in their wake. Bloodhound chuckled almost silently and continued.

“That happen often?” Elliott asked.

“Every time I leave the house,” they said frankly. Elliott grinned, imagining the day he was that recognizable.

It was quiet the rest of the way until they got to a small, dingy bar. Elliott opened the door for Bloodhound and Nox, smiling at the two as they passed. Nox leaned into Bloodhound and spoke something to them that Elliott couldn’t hear once they got inside, turning into his sleeve and coughing heavily right after. It wasn’t terribly busy at the moment, Elliott easily able to guide the two to seats at the bar. 

Bloodhound took a seat between Nox and Elliott, tightening their ponytail gently. When the bartender came, Elliott chatted with him cheerfully for a moment before ordering a whiskey for himself. He got a boring drink, unsure if Bloodhound would think him lesser for a fruity drink. He looked at Bloodhound, laughing softly when they only asked for a water.

They looked to him, “You know the bartender?” 

“Yeah, I know almost everyone here,” he said, smiling, “I work here!”

“You bartend?” they asked, quirking a pierced eyebrow. 

Elliott blushed a little, nodding, “Yeah, just a side job,” he explained, thanking his coworker when he brought their drinks. He ignored the wink the man gave him. Bloodhound swirled the straw in their glass gently, not taking a drink.

“You had mentioned you are a college student, right?” they asked, “What do you study?”

“Yeah! I’m studying engineering, specifically holographic technology!” he said, ignoring exactly how nerdy that sounded.

“You wish to work with and make holograms?” Bloodhound asked, sliding their water over to Nox beside them. They nodded a moment, “Interesting. Why do you wish to do that?”

“My mom works in it,” Elliott explained, “I always thought it was interesting, and I want to pick up her work wherever she leaves it,” he said, smiling a little fondly at talking of his mother’s work. Memories of watching her pore over her work late into the night, her kind voice explaining everything he asked about. 

“You are close to your mother?” Bloodhound guessed. Elliott nodded, 

“Yeah, I am,” he said, chuckling, “What about you? Is music, like, your full time job?”

Bloodhound nodded, “More or less, yes,” they said a bit vaguely.

“Did you ever go to college?” he asked, sipping his whiskey slowly. He hoped he wasn’t getting too personal. 

“I won’t share that,” they said. Okay, too personal. 

“No problem!” Elliott laughed cheerfully.

They continued to talk for what felt like hours about small things, and sometimes seemingly nothing. It was easy to talk to Bloodhound, the fact that they were a celebrity melted away in their conversation, brought back only when their name was mentioned on the news playing on the television. 

Elliott grinned at the images on screen of Bloodhound singing, hair wild and sweat on their brow. Bloodhound seemed to tune it out easily, waving gently to people who suddenly recognized them in the bar. Of course they took photos with people. Elliott wondered how much of their life was just posing for photos.

They began walking back to the concert hall after Nox reminded Bloodhound they had to be somewhere in the morning. They walked slowly, pausing in the middle of the sidewalk for a group of drunken fans to take photos. Elliott laughed quietly at the absurdity. A celebrity really couldn’t go anywhere without being spotted, could they?

When they got to the concert hall again, Marvin ran over and hugged Elliott tightly, 

“Elliott! You didn’t tell us you were leaving!!” he said as Elliott patted his back.

“I’m fine, Marv, come on,” he said, cheeks hot when he realized Bloodhound was watching. The taller man didn’t let go, hugging just as tight as before.

“Holy shit…” came Wraith’s voice, shocked. Elliott looked over Marvin’s shoulder to see Wraith staring at Bloodhound with wide eyes. Elliott grinned at her.

“That’s that singer you guys were talking about, right?” Anita asked, looking down at Wraith. She nodded. 

“My name is Bloodhound,” the musician said smoothly, walking forward and extending their hand to Anita. She shook their hand formally, 

“Anita Williams,” she said. Bloodhound held out their hand to Wraith who shook it firmly, clearly restraining her excitement.

“Wraith. Just Wraith,” she said, smiling gently. Bloodhound nodded, 

“Wraith. An interesting name. I like it,” they said kindly. 

“Oh!” Marvin said, letting Elliott go finally. Elliott sighed softly as Marvin grinned at him, 

“Did you make friends with them?” he asked quietly. Elliott watched as Bloodhound chatted idly with Anita and Wraith. They were really good with people!

“I-I guess you could say that?” he asked. He really wasn’t sure! Was this just a one night thing? Well, they’d talked a total of two nights now. That had to count for something, right?

Marvin giggled softly, jumping when Bloodhound walked over to him and held out the notepad and pen from earlier. 

“You want my signature?” Marvin asked, laughing, his cheeks turning pink. Bloodhound nodded, and Marvin took the paper to sign it in his bubbly, round handwriting. 

“I like your dress,” Bloodhound said. Marvin gasped and grinned widely, 

“Do you? Thank you so much!” he gushed, giggling. Bloodhound smiled again, though Elliott could only see it in their eyes, and took the paper back. They looked about to say something else, but Nox spoke up from behind them all,

“Bloodhound, we must go, or we’ll be late.”

Bloodhound nodded and turned to Elliott, “It was nice to see you again, _felagi_. I hope to be seeing you all again soon.” They smiled at the whole band, Wraith blushing a bit and smiling, 

“It was nice to meet you,” she said genuinely. Bloodhound bowed their head gently, making brief eye contact with Elliott as they walked to follow Nox. Elliott’s entire body felt alight with flames and stars as they left. He’d spent much of the night with Bloodhound. 

“You didn’t answer your phone! You didn’t say you were leaving!” Marvin scolded, worried, but Elliott didn’t care. He felt unreal, like he was floating in a dream where nothing could touch him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come be my friend!  
> \- [Apex Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imagineapexlegends)  
> \- [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ChubbyGhost3)
> 
> -  
> And as always, a huge shoutout to my spectacular beta reader and partner, Rain! Go check them out!  
> \- [Tumblr](http://nbbloodhound.tumblr.com/)  
> \- [Ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pi3rsquare/pseuds/pi3rsquare)


End file.
